Fish sauce is a traditional condiment that is essential in Vietnamese meals. It is not only used for seasoning while cooking, but also used to make dipping sauces that enhance the flavors of the dishes.
A delicious dipping sauce greatly affects the success of a dish. Many Vietnamese dishes use garlic chili fish sauce as a condiment, such as spring rolls, rice paper rolls, banh xeo, banh bot loc…
A proper garlic chili fish sauce bowl should have the savory and fragrant taste of fish sauce, the sweetness of sugar, the mild sourness of lime/vinegar, and the spicy flavor of garlic and chili.
Properly prepared garlic chili fish sauce can be stored and enjoyed over the course of a month.
To create a delicious garlic chili fish sauce with beautifully floating bits of garlic and chili, here are some secrets you should remember.
Ingredient Ratio
Many people believe that the ratio of ingredients plays a crucial role in achieving a well-balanced dipping sauce. You need to ensure a ratio of 1:1:1:4, which means 1 part fish sauce, 1 part sugar, 1 part vinegar (or lime juice), and 4 parts water. Based on this ratio, you can adjust the amount of each ingredient to suit your family’s taste.
Order of Mixing
The order in which the condiments are added to the fish sauce should also be considered. You can’t just throw all the ingredients into a bowl and stir, expecting a perfect sauce.
First, add water and sugar to the bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then add the fish sauce and vinegar/lime juice. Finally, add the minced garlic and chili.
It is important to use fish sauce with a protein content of 40° for a moderately salty flavor and a delicious dipping sauce.
Preparing Minced Garlic and Chili
When choosing garlic, select firm bulbs. Peel the garlic and finely mince it with a sharp knife.
As for fresh chili, make a lengthwise incision along the chili and remove the seeds. Then, finely chop the chili.
An important note when mincing garlic and chili is to keep the knife, cutting board, and ingredients dry.
To make the minced garlic and chili float in the fish sauce, you can soak the minced garlic and chili in a little lime/vinegar for about 3-5 minutes, then remove them.